~ Wallace's Attempt at Humanities

SCARY RELIANCE

“No border, no wall, no USA at all”….Colleges and Universities are adjusting their academic campuses to seemingly hate machines.

Many think our American community is now separated beyond repair. The political party’s hold disdain and malice for each other. Additionally, television journalism, printed media journalist, who used to fight fake or miss-guided news, now simply pretends it doesn’t exist.

Graduating from college in 1960, national politics was deeply divided, yet there was the nonideological party system used as the route to a peculiarly American kind of consensus politics. It seemed to work.

Clinton Rossiter, then a Cornell historian, referenced this in his Parties and Politicsin America: “the parties have been the peacemakers of the American community…the unwitting but forceful suppressors of the ‘civil-war potential’ we carry always in the bowels of our diverse nation. Blessed are the peace makers, I am tempted to conclude.”

Television was certainly around, without color, but we did not suffer an electronic media bent on celebrating daily false news, creating crisis hourly.

Recently, FNC (Fox News Channel) had a median viewer age of 68, compared to MSNBC’s of 63, and CNN’s 59. Changing demographics always rule – demanding obvious shifts. Joe Concha, The Hill’s trustworthy journalist, writes on media, consistently expressing disenchantment on how the cable propaganda seems never-ending. Their professional obligations to the American public for fact based reporting borders on empty. For me, it border on repulsive.

“Catch me on #Kimmel TONIGHT @JimmyKimmelLive@JimmyKimmel#ABC”, Bret Baier excitedly tweets. How absolutely sad! If one network attempts a balanced, yet controversial news report, their competitors morph into Chesapeake crabs. You know: the crab who manages to climb out of the basket causes other crabs to pull him back down. That’s what crabs do. It is also what cable news networks do. To the sophisticated news view, it becomes a repulsive dynamic.

All three networks had their strategies: Fox came available in the late 1990’s as a needed conservative antidote – simply offering a choice, and keeping the others honest. CNN came to Richmond in 1980 symbolizing balanced coverage. MSNBC appeared in an almost schizophrenic state where there was little consistency – just flopping around from ideology to ideology.

Today’s treacherous business is simply blocking reports that are unsuitable for the ideology of said cable channel: the Rep. Keith Ellison (house member and vice chairman of the Democratic National Committee) alleged relationship abuse charges; Antifa’ s physical attack on a NBC reporter, and camera man – then unreported by NBC News; the heart-breaking return of human remains from North Korea as a result of the Trump – North Korea agreement –totally unreported except for FNC; non coverage of FISA court applications; even Trump’s positive economic accomplishments. Conclusion the news seems “fixed’.

FNC (Fox News) finds its brand unsettling. Dropping talents like fly’s for the last several years – some no doubt for behavior transgressions – does not denote stability. Others suspect the network’s repositioning to an ideological center-left, which will join the others. FoxNews Sunday has been particularly provoking. Once commandeered by the wonderful Tony Snow – then Brit Hume, FNC finds itself in the lap of snarly, interruptive, Chris Wallace – the balance disappears.

Yes, Fox & Friends IS averaging 1/5 million against the unwatchable Joe Scarborough. Unbelievably, Juan Williams shows up a half dozen times daily – one would think his jaded history at the Washington Post would have kept him off the set entirely. Google it if you must.

CNN’s current status is hard, sad, bewildering to its veteran viewers. The once-crown jewel of Cable News Network does not even get the ratings of HGTV. CNN reporter, Jim Acosta, with his recent melt downs at both the Trump rally in Florida, and his remarkable bad behavior at the White House brings disgust. This network is saturated Hate Trump 24 hours daily.

This was the network of the wonderful Kathleen Sullivan; John Holliman, Bernard Shaw, and Peter Arnett, who transmitted for CNN from a Baghdad hotel as the first bombs dropped in Operation Desert Storm, Jan. 20, 1991. Alas, the network of Robert Novak, Nick Charles, Stuart Varney, Sharyl Attkisson, Mona Charen…..what happened?

MSNBC has long been the problem child and dumping ground for NBC News demotions. For example, once near- greats like Willie Geist, Chris Jansing, Chris Matthews (can one believe Matthews use to sub for Rush Limbaugh?); Brian Williams, Joe Scarborough, and Mika; Joy Ann Reid, who seems apologetic on a monthly basis for some earlier writings…..and a seemingly successful Rachael Maddow.